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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · mouse · chair · rock · fork · hide · drill · ruler

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fork — in a road
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com